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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 20, 1995)
EARTH DAY Earth Day has successful past It's been 25 years since She first Earth Day. which was on April 22. 1970. looking back, many accomplishments have been made for the good of the environ meet, most notab y with th.* sue cesses of the first Earth Day and its 20-year anniversary Former U S Senator Gaylord Nelson is the Wisconsin Democ rat who established the first Earth Day In an interview with E may azme. Nelson points out that he was at one time the only senator with an environmental staff per son Twenty five years later, all 535 members of Congress have a person working on envtronmen tal issues Nelson is still involved with Earth Day events, including Earth Day 1995 "My basic message is that we should try to build a sustainable country and achieve population control," Nelson said Nelson recruited Denis Hayes, then a 25-year old law student at Harvard University, to help orga nize the first Earlh Day Events included a large number of edu cational gatherings, such as teach-ins, at universities and schools across the country. Other events on that day included citizens cutting up their oil company credit cards for tele vision cameras and a student gathering at Boston's Logan Air port protesting the SST, Ameri ca's super-sonic transport The SST was never built. About 20 million Americans par ticipated m events lor Earth Day 1970. and even Congress recessed early to allow members to take pad in activities John Baldwin, associate pro lessor m the Planning. Public Pol icy and Management Department and director ol the University's Institute lor a Sustainable £nv> ronment said he was greatly attected by the first Earth Day "With attempts to roll backwards what progress has been made on Some environmental (fonts and with the deterioration ol resources." he said, “it’s time to redouble our resolve to tackle these problems efficiently, and appreciate the beauty ar>d bounty ol our environ ment." Baldwin was attending Jamestown Community College in Jamestown. New York at the time About 200 students were involved m a march celebrating Earth Day A teach-m was also sponsored, at whch science students discussed environmental problems and solu tions Baldwin remembers these events as catalysts lor him to pur sue a career m environmental biol ogy A year later, he did some ol the original water pollution work on Lake Erie In 19/2, he canoed the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland after it caught on fire, taking water sam ples. Important victones for the envt ronment resulted from the first Earth Day in 1970. The Environ mental Protection Agency was ere ated, and the ground-breaking Clean A<» Act ot 1970 was passed by Congress That act phased out lead m gasokne and reduced auto emissions. Environmental activists also caused the miiitary to stop spray mg Agent Orange and other tone chemicals m Vietnam Between the first Earth Day and the 20-year anniversary, interest in the event dwindled In 191* a worktws.V'. »>lebration was planned to relive the success ot the original Earth Day Denis Hayrss, who helped orga nise the first Earth Day. also led the planning ot the 20-year anniversary This time, the goal was to involve societies worldwide and help Earth Day become a global event Earth Day 1990 may have berm the largest global event ever in which the greatest numbue of peo ple united lor a common cause The Nr'w York Timrs reported on April 23, 1993 that "t>y day's end organt/ers ot the sequel to Earth Day 1970 said 200 million people in 140 nations had taken part in the largest grassroots demonstration in history " Hayes described the state ot the environment on Earth Day 1990, m Aorlubon magazine "The greenhouse effect is now beyond dispute," he said "Species are disappearing faster t urn to HISTORY , f’gc SB HOME r FERMENTER CENTER^? Beer & Wine Making Supplies ' Largest Selection in the Valley Since 1979 Expert Advice Open Mon Sat • 123 Monroe • Eugene • {503) 485 6238 •Acc«morie* 'ftMl •Surfing Supplier \||S •Video & Audio 1/4 Mite South of Si in ock ■beef inr mop HONE SWEET HONE. LET’S KEEP IT THAT WAY. Join in the festivities today in the EMU Courtyard and on Earth Day, < Saturday, April 22 at the Saturday Market Jointly sponsored by the Environmental Issues Committee, OSPIRG, the Survival Center and Campus Recycling
